The Dirty Sheep

True story.

Every day the college professor drove by his neighbor’s property on his way to work. There were the neglected sheep. Again. Huddled together. Dirty. Looking forsaken and forlorn. Today something snapped and he just couldn’t stand it anymore.

Driving up to his neighbor’s house, he knocked on the door and asked if he could buy the sheep. Neglected as they were, it wasn’t surprising that the neighbor took the professor up on his offer. Money exchanged hands and the professor went to bring a vehicle in which he could load the handful of sheep.

With great excitement, the professor set up a corral he had for his new “babies”. Smiling with satisfaction, he eyed the trough newly filled with clean water set close to the one for food. His heart rejoiced that he would never drive by the heart- rending scene of sad dirty sheep again. It was a new day for his adopted babies and they would never suffer want again. Or so he thought.

After a few days he made a disturbing discovery. All the sheep had adapted well to their new environs—except one. Sad Face huddled in a corner alone. She never got close to the food or water troughs until the other sheep had their fill. Then she would totter over to them. But instead of dipping into the wonderful, clean food, she persisted in eating only muddy bits that had fallen to the ground. Instead of drinking the fresh clean water her new owner provided, she slurped up muddy water that had dribbled down the side of the trough. No matter what the professor did, no matter how he tried to encourage her, she continued to eat and drink nothing but the dregs of both food and water.

The only thing the professor could think of was that she was so used to neglect that she found it difficult to adapt to cleanliness and abundance. She was being offered the best food, the purest water—but she was so used to neglect, dirt, and mud that she wouldn’t avail herself of the good stuff. The other sheep grew healthy and boasted beautiful full coats. But not Sad Face. She remained dirty, matted, and isolated from the other sheep in her dirty little corner.

Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine” and “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:14, 27).

Jesus is our good shepherd. Just like the professor, He wants to bless us with good things. But, just like Sad Face, some of us are afraid to get close to Him, to what He offers us. What if He asks us to be a missionary or something else that we don’t want to do? So we hold back. We stay in our isolated little corner and eat only dregs, mere bits and pieces of God’s Word when what He really longs to do is to shower us with the whole, delicious enchilada. (Yeah, yeah, yeah--I know, mixed metaphors, but I like the way it sounds so get over it.)

Jesus is the good shepherd. Where He leads there will be good stuff, good things (Psalm 23). As His sheep whom He loves, we can trust Him, and we can rest assured that what He offers us will always be for our good.

When I prayed about marrying my first husband I had many qualms. I had already worked in the ministry for several years and bore the wounds to prove it. Now the last thing I wanted was to marry a minister. But I knew Jesus was a good  shepherd. If He  led me down a certain path it would be a blessed one. As I prayed, God gave me peace to move ahead with the relationship. He showed me Psalm 16, of which verse 6 reads, “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.” So I girded myself like a woman of God, trusted Him, and took the plunge. And you know what? I had a wonderful marriage, despite marrying someone in a profession that I dreaded.

Where is God leading you? What is He calling you to do? Don’t be afraid. Don’t keep on drinking the muddy water and the dregs of the food. Don’t limit yourself by refusing what God is offering you. Don’t be like Sad Face, clinging to what you know because you fear the new or unknown. Be brave, like Esther in the Bible who took the plunge to seek the King’s favor and ended up saving her people —go for the good stuff.

The stuff in the trough God has for you will be good. Step up to and embrace the wonder and abundance God has prepared just for you.

"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:11).

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11).

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue”(2 Peter 1:3).